


Unmoored

by BugheadjonesTheThird



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), bughead - Fandom
Genre: 02x05, F/M, Fixing things, Riverdale, bughead - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-02-02 14:45:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12728607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BugheadjonesTheThird/pseuds/BugheadjonesTheThird
Summary: Toni Topaz kissed Jughead Jones. She did it confidently while his heart was broken inside his chest. What did she expect him to feel from that?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is part 1 out of 2 from my own take on what happens after 02x 05. The second part won’t probably be out before tomorrow, but I hope I can still catch your attention! I’m running late and my beta is busy, so go easy on the mistakes, guys. Hope you like it!
> 
> WARNING: You can read part 2 without part 1

He simply stood there, eyes half closed, unable to make brusque movements as a stinging pain took over his chest. His heartbeat didn’t change, his breathing remained slow due to the bruises, and it was as if the world around him went awkwardly mute, saving for the ticking of the clock hanging on the wall behind him. His body was heavy, the smell of iron and alcohol invading his nostrils and making his stomach scrunch in disgust; and he felt as if his limbs were just there, attached to his aching, lifeless body, serving as weights to keep him on that chair. Life, at that moment, reminded him of how things used to be before the one murder that changed Riverdale, the only thing feeling slightly different, was the strange, unfamiliar warmth pressed against his cold lips.

It was warm, and perhaps, even soft, but he couldn’t really tell. Nothing irradiated to his lips, no meaningful connection was made, and at that moment, he had no more emotions than a corpse.

It was as if he was dead, except the consequences of his mundane life still hurt him, following him through his afterlife experience, as numbness took over his mind.

Jughead felt nothing.

And even as he watched the sassy Serpent withdrawing from what was supposed to be a kiss, he just continued to feel numb.

Shouldn’t he have felt something?

Shouldn’t he have felt that kiss?

Maybe. If those lips had the shape of a heart and tasted like strawberry, he would’ve felt something. Maybe, if they belonged to someone else, he would have felt the way people are supposed to feel when they kiss their meaningful ones.

Perhaps that was it, he thought.

She meant nothing to him. She never would, at least not like that.

No one ever would, he knew.

No one but the girl next door, who had once so easily stolen his heart with that bubbly smile and that peculiar way of calling him–

“Juggie...”

That voice– that close, hoarse and ordinary voice stumbled his nickname from her lips, and suddenly, it was as if an emotion had woken up inside him. His eyes drifted towards the source of that sound, and not meeting green eyes fired up an unexplainable anger inside him.

What the fuck did she think she was doing?

“ In the end, I’m glad you’ve decided to go through the trials. Maybe this is really the beginning of something new.” She placed her hand on his cheek, the touch burning his skin as if his body was harshly rejecting it.

Those hands... Those hands were not allowed to touch him, no.

Only hers were.

“ Don’t touch me...” His voice came out as a whisper, almost inaudible if not for the unwavering, short distance they stood from each other.

“ W-What?”

“ I said...” He looked into her dark eyes, an emotionless gaze taking over his blue orbs. “ Don’t touch me.”

“ B-But... Juggie, what ha–“

“ And don’t fucking call me that!”

Her voice was caught in her throat, as he continued to glare at her. He felt that sickening touch leaving his skin, a sudden relief spreading through his nerves. She looked dumb folded – terrified, even, and for some reason, he didn’t need words to explain her what was going on.

The girl took a deep breath, hurt clearly spread around her face. She was biting her lower lip, as her eyes were trying not to show off how she – Toni Topaz from the Southside– truly felt about being rejected by Jughead Jones. It hurt her pride as a Serpent, for it was clear that she had just lost to a girl from the other side of the tracks. A girl that wasn’t even there to claim her prize.

A girl who, apparently, let him go.

“ ... It’s her, isn’t it?”

He didn’t give her an answer. He owed her no such thing, and at that moment, he just felt like talking about her in front of that girl would be a disrespect to the sacred image of his blonde light. Jughead simply looked away, placing the ice bag on the table as to get rid of that cold water slowing his mind. At that moment, he needed his full, mental capacity to plan his next move. He would have to think carefully in order to create a strategy to confront his girlfriend– because she still is his girlfriend– about whatever crap Archie was talking about earlier.

He needed to know. He needed to hear it from her lips. He needed her–

“JUGHEAD!” The other one screamed, desperately competing for his attention, but clearly losing to the simple idea of the girl he loves. “ Y-You can’t do this... You heard that guy! She doesn’t want you anymore! That girl... She’s from the Northside! She lives in her own world, where people like you and me don’t belong! She’s too busy with her perfect life to even think about the likes of us!”

“ Don’t you dare talk about her like that, Toni!” His voice rose more than it was necessary, the weight on his chest feeling a little lighter due to that protective feeling consuming him. “You don’t know her. You don’t know what she’s been through or what’s in her mind!”

“ Apparently, you don’t know it either! You couldn’t tell she was suffering and that your relationship was fucked up! Now, what do you think about that!?”

“ Shut up...”

“ Jughead and the perfect Betty Fucking Cooper!” She spit her name out of her furious mouth, only making that foreign anger grow inside him. “The Northside princess and a Serpent scum! How long did you actually think that would last!? You are smarter than this, Jones, come on! She was just using you for fun, and now that you’re finally with your people, she doesn’t want you, just like I told you before!”

“ Shut up, Toni. I’m serious.”

“ I’m trying to make you listen, Jughead! She doesn’t love you!”

“ I SAID, SHUT UP!”

His scream echoed around the entire trailer, invading every corner that hides the memories of his short life. For an unnecessarily long moment, he felt like his own, drunk father when he would scream at his mother and sister.. Suddenly, he felt dirty and tired of repeating that same, stupid past over and over again. Jughead was finally becoming the old, troublesome version of FP Jones, and never before had he felt so ashamed of himself.

He was throwing it all away. His friends, his life, her. Even if his reasons for joining that stupid gang were noble, it didn’t change the fact that he was giving up on all the good things that happened in his life, and soon, all his reasons to fight for a better future would be gone. He really was an asshole, much like his mother called his father as she stood on that same, small living room behind him. The same living room where he–

The same living room where he told her he loved her. And where she told him she loved him, too.

Yes, that living room had witnessed it all. From his darkest days to the happiest moment of his life, his history was spread around the metallic walls of that trailer, lingering on every pillow and even pressed against that old, kitchen counter.

Those were fucking good times.

And Jughead wasn’t ready to let them go.

He wasn’t ready to let her go.

“ A-Are you going after her?” He remained silent, staring blankly at the living room. “Jughead! I’m talking to you!”

His eyes drifted back towards Toni, the same, emotionless gaze still present in them. Even with her eyes so desperately demanding an answer from him, Jughead didn’t feel like giving her what she wanted.

“ It’s none of your business.”

“ Yes, it is! You’re a Serpent now! And Serpent–“

“ Have each other’s back, right!?” Sarcasm dripped from his tongue, as more than anyone, he didn’t trust those people. Those rules were all bullshit, and so was everything else that didn’t involve his life with her. “So why are you still here, trying to take me out of the only thing that makes me happy!? Why are you trying to take me away from her!?”

“ Because I know it will destroy you! She will destroy you!”

“ God, aren’t you tired of repeating this same crap over and over again? Do you actually believe my girlfriend is worse than a criminal gang?”

“... We are your family, now.”

“ No, you’re not! I have a family, and neither you nor your friends are a part of it.”

“ What about her? What kind of bond could you two possibly share that is stronger than the one with the Serpents!?”

“ I love her, Toni!”

“ What?”

“ She’s my family. She’s the one person that keeps me going! Betty is the only good thing about this shitty town, and I would do anything to protect her from whatever disaster decides to fall upon Riverdale.”

“ Anything?... even joining the Serpents?”

“ Especially joining the Serpents.”

The look on her face was so predictable it irked him. All the information he needed was there, like an open, child’s book, filled with figures and huge letters for anyone to see. Toni seemed shocked, and maybe she should be since she now knew where his loyalty stood. Not with the Serpents. Not with her, but certainly with his family.

Certainly with his Betty Cooper.

“Un-fucking-believable. The son of FP Jones... A traitor.”

She bit her lower lip until it turned pale, and before she could make things even worse between them, the girl stood up from her seat and walked towards the door. Toni was pissed– he could tell– but he just couldn’t bring himself to give a fuck about that. He didn’t care and he barely heard it when she stormed out of the trailer, shouting some stupid threats he just couldn’t take seriously.

Toni Topaz was not going to get into his head, let alone into his heart.. She used to be something close to a friend while he went through hard times around Southside High, but now she’s just another stranger trying to tell him how to live his life.

And God, that was so annoying.

It didn’t take long for him to stand up from that chair, and the first thing he did was run the back of his hand through his lips. His fingers, then, got trapped in his raven locks, and after taking a deep breath, Jughead knew what he had to do.

Even if it could make him feel worse and even if it could make that ache in his chest stronger, he just had to do it.

He had to find Betty Cooper and ask her the question that had been stuck in his throat ever since his meeting with his ginger friend earlier that day.

He had to know if she still loved him.

And then, only after that answer, Jughead Jones would be able to make the hardest decision of his life.

After that, Jughead Jones would know if he would have to let her go.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I’m so sorry for taking so long to post this! Apart from being suffocated by my classes, I kinda just... lost track? I knew my idea would change after I watched the ep, but it changed a lot more than I expected. It changed to the point where I actually had a new idea of how things were supposed to have happened, but I’ll wait until I watch the ep to see if I’ll actually write it XD  
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this version of something that could’ve happened! Please, leave me a comment with your thoughts! Make an author happy!
> 
> WARNING: You can read part 2 without part 1

Betty couldn’t remember ever feeling worse than on that morning. Her head was throbbing, her eyes were stinging, and it was as if the entire world around her was just filled with voids instead of the usual faces she was supposed to recognize — and even wave at. There was no polite smile gracing her lips that morning, no perfect ponytail swinging over her shoulders, and basically no destiny set in her mind as she walked aimlessly around the small town of Riverdale.

She was in no condition to think, hence trying to make a responsible decision such as going home or writing for the Blue and Gold was just not going to happen. Why should she even do any of those things, right? Going home would take her straight to her mother’s judging words, and her articles just felt like a bunch of useless, lethal words that could pretty much inspire another dormant murderer around the town. Running away to these places would do her no good. In fact, nowhere she went would actually save her from the one thing terrorizing her at that moment.

Her memories.

The good ones. The bad ones. The ones from the moment her life turned upside down and she was left completely alone in that suffocatingly perfect life of hers. No best friend, no neighbor and especially, no Jughead Jones.

Her teeth sunk into her lower lip as the thought returned to her mind— not that it had actually left ever since the decision was made. A life without him was not something she wanted anymore. Hell— a life without his snarky comments or his warm hands was just something she never even considered possible anymore. The truth is, Betty Cooper forgot how terrible life was without him. She forgot how it was to be surrounded by her insecurities 24/7, and she forgot how it felt to be stared at simply for being her.

Simply for being the perfect girl next door, who’s also a straight A student and the new obsession of a maniac who had been terrorizing the whole town.

It was all just too much for her. Too much for a single girl who used to believe good things would come for those who fight for what they believe in. She believed in a better future and — damn, she believed in happy endings. Even after everything that happened around Riverdale, Betty believed in a day when the scars on her hands would have faded long ago and she would go home and find an empty fridge just because Jughead couldn’t—

And there he was, yet again, warming her heart with a bunch of what ifs and that silly smile of his that always manages to make her happy. She has always known Jughead has the prettiest of the smiles, and even if they’ve always been her source of courage and inspiration, Betty knows better than to believe he will ever smile at her like that again. Right now, after what she did, she knew he probably hated her. For breaking his heart like that, the blonde knew he wouldn't simply forgive her. Even if she had told Archie— and mostly herself— that they would find their way back to one another, she didn’t know if things would ever go back to normal, not even after the truth was revealed.

That is, if the truth was ever revealed.

At that moment, she didn’t know if they would ever get rid of the Black Hood. She didn’t know if she would be able to keep protecting everyone, and she didn’t know if she would ever be forgiven.

Betty didn’t even know where she was going at that moment.

And it wasn’t until the first, cold drop of rain hit her cheek that she actually paid attention to that.

The rain was coming, and and it took her some good moments before she decided to look for a proper shelter from it. The streets were empty, now, telling her people were, indeed, worried about that water that was about to fall, for the clouds above her head seemed to be too dark and charged to be just a drizzle. She could feel the storm coming, or maybe it was just the turmoil in her belly, she couldn’t really tell. Either way, townsfolk always seem to worry about such things, and normally, she would, too, but it was not like things could get any worse just because the sky had decided to pour its own sadness over her.

After the rain finally started to fall, Betty finally realized her aimless walk was taking her to Pop’s, and it was as if her mind believed she could find some sort of protection under those neo lights. Her heart ached when she remembered all the good moments she had spent at those vinyl booths, and how that diner had witnessed the last kiss she would ever share with the love of her life. That was going to be the first time she would be going there ever since she was forced to break their hearts, and for the first time, the Cooper girl knew not even her favorite food would make things better.

A painful smile crossed her lips, as she remembered his wise words. Apparently, not all is okay with milkshakes.

A couple blocks later, when she arrived at the diner, Betty was soaked. In the end, the rain had come faster than she had expected, and chances were she took a little extra time on purpose so she could mask her recent tears. Pop was probably the only person left in town who still liked her, and he would certainly notice the track of tears across her cheeks.

He was probably the only one left, and yet, she knew she would have to lie to him when he asked her if she was doing okay. It was going to hurt, but at that moment, Betty didn’t think she had enough strength to tell him the whole truth— not that she was allowed to. His eyes were set on her, and she didn’t want to risk getting more people involved in that sick game of his.

The Black Hood had turned her into a liar. He took away her friends, her family and the love of her life.

But he never took away her feelings, no.

And perhaps, that was the cruelest part of his wicked plan.

When she finally opened the door of the nostalgic diner, the sound of the chiming bells was the last thing she heard before her entire body went numb. Her green eyes were widened, the air in her lungs had disappeared, and the gap in between her lips showed the pure horror that had immediately taken over Betty as soon as her eyes met the bloody scene in front of her.

“Jug…”

Her voice escaped her throat as a painful whisper, as if his name had been trapped inside her chest forever. Her heart ached in an unbearable level at that moment, as their eyes finally connected in a longing, broken gaze. Betty observed him, running her eyes through his entire body as he was sitting on a stool while Pop Tate treated his wounds. Jughead was destroyed— both physically and emotionally— and she didn’t need too long to conclude it was all her fault.

Those bruised lips, the dark circles around his eyes, the cuts spread all over his skin and the hematomas were just corrupting his perfect features, and at that moment, the blonde could feel the anger running through her veins, as she continued to blame herself for the state that boy was in. He was tired and hurt, and god— he was just so visibly broken. She could feel her heart shattering into millions of pieces along his, and her skin was slowly being ripped under a mess of nails and blood. They continued to hold each other’s gaze, and it wasn’t until a cold, salty tear ran through her cheek that the blonde finally blinked, bringing her back to that horrible reality in front of her.

Betty didn’t know exactly when she had started crying— she wasn't still sure if she had stopped since last night— but at that moment, more than ever before, the blonde just knew she wouldn’t be able to hold back any of the reactions of her broken heart.

The strap of her bag slowly slid through her shoulder, and she made no effort to preventing it from falling. The sound of her books hitting the floor echoed around the empty diner, and with one of her hands covering her startled mouth, the blonde took small, careful steps towards the men in from of her, holding back the urge to reach out for his hand. At that moment, she didn’t know if she was wanted around, but Betty refused not to do anything to help.

Especially when she was the only one to be blamed for his current condition.

“ Jug, I-I’m so sorry…” Her lips trembled, as the tears continued to stream down her face. His eyes were still looking at hers, but at that moment, Jughead expressed no reaction regarding her presence by his side. Seeing her didn’t bring a relieved expression to his face, and neither did it disgust him. He was simply accepting her there, watching and drinking in all the changes that had drained her delicate, soft features for the past couple of days.

Apparently, Archie was right. 

Unlike what he had brought himself to believe, Betty Cooper wasn’t fine at all.

And it was all his fault.

He knew the rain wasn’t the only reason behind her messed state, for his eyes had seen her soaked by the tears of heaven, and god— Betty looked simply stunning like that. She loved the rain running down her body, and the smile on her face was bright enough to create a rainbow in the sky. Whenever they ended up shelterless in a rainy day, she would always find a way to be happy.

But right now, oh— Betty looked like shit.

And never in his life had he actually seen her like that.

“ Oh, you’re finally here, Betty.” Pop said, as if he was already expecting her to show up. He threw away a bloody cotton, standing up from his crouched position. “ I have some bandages back on the employee’s bathroom. Keep an eye on him, will you?”

“ S-Sure…” She answered, insecurity filling her voice as she got closer, grabbing the bag of ice that laid forgotten on the table. She refused to meet his eyes— too embarrassed, he could see— as she carefully placed the ice over his swallowed jaw. Her teeth were bitting her lower lip, and at that moment, even if he knew he shouldn’t, his eyes just wouldn’t leave her, examining and recording all that was left of the girl his heart beats for.

The bags under her eyes were deep enough to salient the bones of her skull, and he could easily tell she had been crying unstoppably for a couple of days now. A bloody line was trailing from between her fingers, and she was shaking uncontrollably as she tried to formulate a phrase in her head. Betty looked thiner, weaker and even if he was the one all bruised, the blonde seemed to be in way more pain than he was.

Though why did she look like that? Weren’t things the way she wanted them to be? Didn’t she want them done so she could finally follow through with her life without him slowing her down?

She should be happy now. Then why was she so sad?

And most importantly, why did he even care?

She broke his heart. She told him she loved him, and then she dumped him, doing the only thing that could ever hurt him. Betty had made him weak and dependable, and he knew he should’ve known better that happiness didn’t belong in his life.

He should’ve known it would all eventually end in tears and one, broken heart.

Though why did it seem to be two?

Apart from the ache caused by the loss of his girl next door, there were also feelings such as anger, concern and guilt running through his veins. Jughead knew he had to say something— anything to her in order to relieve that press ion building up inside his throat. He didn’t want to let all his emotions out in front of her, so, as always, he chose to mask it all with his characteristic sardonic humor.

It’s his way of coping, after all.

“ Betty Cooper… You’re a sight for a sore eye, literally.” He said, letting out a bitter chuckle.

“ Jughead, don’t do this…” She said, placing a hand on his chest as if to prevent him from falling forward due to the irresponsible chuckle. “ You’re gonna hurt yourself even more.”

His eyes connected to hers, a longing feeling reflecting through them. “ I don’t think that’s possible anymore.”

His cold stare on her felt like a stab, for she knew exactly what he meant by those words. Betty swallowed dry, looking away from him as more tears spilled from her eyes. Her heart felt heavy inside her chest, and at that moment, she just couldn’t simply keep things inside anymore. It was too much. “ You won’t believe me, Jug… But I did that to protect you. I never though—”

“ Protect me? I don’t look safe or protected, do I, Betty?”

“ I know. And that’s why I regret it. I should’ve never—“

“ Oh, you regret it now?” There was a painful smile on his face, now, as he moved away from her. “ And why is that, Betty? Is it because Archie wouldn’t take you? Or maybe you just regret going that far with me before breaking my heart?”

“ Archie? What are you even talking about? Don’t be ridiculous, Jughead! I don’t love him! I love you!“

“ Don’t even try, Betty. I won’t fall for your words… Not again.”

“ I’m telling the truth! I would never lie to you about this, and you know it! You know me!”

“ Oh, do I? Because I didn’t know you were not okay by my side. I didn’t know you were planning on ending things between us—“

“ That’s because I wasn’t!”

“ I didn’t know I was making you suffer!”

“ You weren’t, Jug.” She was crying harder now, her lips were trembling and she didn’t think twice before placing her hands on his thigh, looking at him from below with those sad, green eyes of hers. “ You were making me the happiest girl on earth!”

“ Then why the hell did you dump me, Betty?!”

“ I did it to—“

“ You weren’t protecting me! I won’t believe this!”

“ You have to… It’s the truth. I-I didn’t know…”

“ You didn’t know what?! That you would also suffer!? That you would be left alone?! That you would—“

“ I didn’t know he was still going to hurt you, Jughead!”

Her words echoed around the diner, leaving the Jones boy completely confused. His eyes were widened, the words he was about to shoot at her disappeared in his throat, and for the first time since the previous night, he could actually feel his heart beating. Her head was lowered, and the tears were falling flat on the floor, and as the blonde sobbed, all he could do was wait for her to continue from where she had stopped. There was something more he didn’t know about their sudden break up, and apparently, that was the cause of her pain. A secret so well kept that couldn’t be but a mere detail that made no difference on the outcome of their relationship.

That secret was destroying her, he could tell.

And at that moment, even if he had told himself he wouldn’t let her explain herself and that he wouldn’t believe her words anymore; Jughead needed to know. He needed to listen to her voice.

“ What are you talking about, Betty? Who… Who was going to hurt me?”

He watched as she tried to wipe away her tears in an attempt of recomposing herself. Apparently, the girl who was still kneeled on the floor of an old diner was still trying to gather forces to continue. “ He told me he wouldn’t hurt you as long as I broke up with you, Jug. He told me he was going to kill you, and I-I… I couldn’t let that happen. Then I asked Archie to deliver you the message, even if I knew it would hurt more. I am so so sorry, Jughead. I thought I was going to protect you… But apparently, I was an idiot to believe him and now you’re here, leading and bruised and it’s all because of me.”

The wheels in his head were turning, as he tried his hardest to decipher her words. Just by looking at her miserable state, Jughead knew she wasn’t lying and that her words were anything but an illusion she had created in her head. She really was trying to protect him from someone, but the way Betty was saying those things just didn’t make any sense for him. There wasn’t only one he that had left him all hurt like that, no. There were a lot of Serpents hitting him last night, and even if some of them punched him really hard, he doubted any of them wanted him dead for simply being with her.

The Serpents aren’t the kindest people in the world, but they would never kill one of their own, and they certainly wouldn’t be motivated by a girl like her.

Hell— Those guys probably don’t even know Betty. There was no way she could be talking about a Serpent or the his initiation.

But if not by the gauntlet, why did she even think he would be physically hurt?

Shivers ran down his spine after asking himself that question, and for a moment, his throat went dry. There was a sudden, ominous presence weighing on his shoulders, and it was as if hunger eyes were set on him. Once their worried eyes met, he forced himself to swallow that feeling away, taking a deep breath before gathering some courage to listen to the answer they were both afraid to hear.

He didn’t want to know who was the man who wanted him dead, and she certainly didn’t want to say that name.

But for the sake of their hearts, the name had to be said out loud.

“ Betty… Who’s the man you’re talking about?"

“ Who?” She lifted an eyebrow in pure confusion. “ The Black Hood, Jughead…. Who else could’ve done that to you?”

At the sound of her voice, all the air in his lungs disappeared. His heart started to beat faster, and for the first time since the attacks started in Riverdale, Jughead was afraid of the angel of death. There was a killer after him, and most importantly, this killer was using her in some kind of sick game.

He was manipulating her and threatening the people she loves to get what he wants. He—

That bastard had made her break up with him.

But why? That was the main question he still couldn’t figure out. Why would a killer want anything from a high school girl? It just didn’t make any sense, at least not with just that info.

Jughead needed more details. He needed to know the whole truth.

And something told him Betty Cooper still hadn’t said it all.

“ Betty… The Black Hood didn’t do this to me.”

“ What…?”

“ The Serpents did it during my initiation as one of them. It was not the Black Hood.”

Her eyes went wide in a fraction of seconds, and fear took over her face. The tears stopped, her hands stiffened, and before she could even move, Jughead held her by the wrist in order to prevent her from running away.

Apparently, he could really read her.

“ Jug… I-I… I gotta go. I can’t be here with you.”

“ Betty… What is it that you’re not telling me?”

“ It’s nothing! We’re done, remember? There’s nothing left to be discussed, now let me go!”

“ You’re not going anywhere until you tell me the truth!”

“ Please, Jug… Try to understand. I wish I could tell you everything, but I can’t! It’s too dangerous!”

“ I’m not afraid of that asshole, Betty! Can’t you see what he’s doing to you!? To Us!?”

“ Don’t you think I know!? I’ve considered every option, and this is the only one I know will keep you safe! I love you, Jug! So let me protect you!”

“ And who the hell is protecting you!?” Anger filled his voice, and his eyes were suddenly glaring at the broken girl in front of him. Before he knew it, all the anger he was feeling at himself switched to her, and it even worried him that he could actually be hurting her delicate wrist. He was mad at her for being so selfish and ignoring his own feelings at such an important time. Jughead also worried about her— damn, of course he did. And now that he knew she was hiding something that could end up hurting her, there was just no way he was going to let that go.

He was not going to let her go. Not again.

“ Look, Betts…” He started, again, once he realized she wouldn’t say anything. His voice was softer, now as he allowed her nickname to roll out of his tongue. His grip around her wasn’t that tight anymore, and his eyes were a lot softer. Now that he had found hope after having his heart crushed, Jughead felt like he had better control on his emotions instead of letting it all out on her. “ You can’t hide this from me. Please…”

The words that came from his mouth hit her straight in the heart, and the way his eyes were looking at her was just making things a lot harder for her. Betty knew she couldn’t tell him the truth. Knowing him, Jughead wouldn’t just be quiet about it, and he would certainly get the Serpents involved. It would be too dangerous and even if she was feeling like crap, she knew things could get a lot worse if he wasn’t alive when that whole mess came to an end.

No matter what, she couldn’t tell him the truth.

But— oh, ignoring his plea was just so hard.

For the first time in weeks, the boy in front of her was the same, sweet and reckless boy that had climbed her window and kissed her. He was being honest and his innocence was there, spread all over his face. He was once again that kind, insecure boy who stole her heart, and at that moment, he wasn’t sure if he was loved anymore. Even if she had told him, his heart wouldn’t simply take that as an answer, no. Jughead needed more than just her words. Hell, he deserved so much more than what she could offer him.

And yet, there he was, begging her to let him in and help her get through that mess. It felt like their roles were swapped, and instead of being the positive and kind half of that relationship, Betty was the one building walls around herself so she wouldn’t affect anyone else who dared approach. She was keeping everyone away, and no matter what, she wouldn’t let anyone in.

She wouldn’t let them risk their lives. Not for her. Not for anyone else.

At least she now knew how he felt.

Once she felt his fingers relaxing around her wrist, the blonde finally allowed a sigh to escape her lungs. She closed her eyes, taking a step closer to the raven haired boy. Their eyes connected after a moment, and for a fraction of second, they were able to share a moment of pure honesty and love like they had only shared a couple of months before. It was comforting, yet heartbreaking, because they both knew what was about to happen next.

There would be no honesty.

There would be no truth.

But there would certainly be love.

With a longing feeling reflected in their eyes, both of the teenagers followed the rhythm of their hearts. She leaned down and he tilted his head up before their lips met in a chaste and honest kiss. He felt his hands cupping her cheeks, and she knew he could feel her scars pressed against his neck as they did their best to hold onto that moment for as long as they could. Lips moved together, hearts beat as one. For now, they were saying goodbye to each other, and even if there were still so many secrets kept in between them, one truth— perhaps the most important one— was confirmed with that kiss.

‘I still love you’

And then, after the unspoken words were heard, Betty Cooper broke the kiss and ran away in the middle of the pouring rain. Even if it was cold and wet, her broken heart felt warmer and her crackled lips softer. She wasn’t fine at that moment, and that talk with Jughead would probably make her cry even harder that night, but it also gave her back the strength she believed to have faded.

She was stronger now. Wiser. She was the damaged, loner outsider from the right side of the tracks now, and she was going to make sure the Black Hood paid for the suffering he was causing them.

He was going to pay. And soon, they would finally have their happy ending.


End file.
